Committee of 100 Newsletter

From the Committee of 100 Chairman, Dominic Ng

Dominic Ng
Chairman, Committee of 100

June 2011

John Chen’s leadership of C-100 these past two years successfully engaged our members to get actively involved reinforcing the foundation of the Committee of 100. I am proud to take over as C-100 Chairman and will do my utmost to deliver on the confidence and trust that the membership has placed in me. 

Thanks to John and to the outstanding work of our 20th Anniversary Conference Co-Chairs, Clarence Kwan, James Li and Lulu Wang, we held a record-breaking Annual Conference and gala on May 12 in New York City. C-100 is now prepared to develop new programs and strengthen existing initiatives in support of our dual mission.

From the Executive Director Angie Tang

Angie Tang
Executive Director, Committee of 100

June 2011

For our 20^th Annual Conference in May, we chronicled the past 20 years of our organization and of the U.S. – China relationship. In this month’s newsletter, you’ll learn about what has changed, what has stayed the same and why it matters.

In 1990, the world, and the world order, were vastly different ­- the Berlin Wall had just fallen, and Deng Xiaoping was on the verge of unleashing China’s monolithic economy. Back then, our small pioneering group of Committee 100 members understood China’s scale and anticipated China’s economic clout and political influence when they assembled in New York to launch our inaugural conference and boldly called for a yearly forum to strengthen the U.S.-China relationship and to address American misperceptions of an awakening giant.

Committee of 100 Holds Record-setting Annual Conference in New York City

C-100 Chairman John Chen opening the 20^th Annual Conference.

As nearly 400 people streamed into the Waldorf Astoria for the Committee of 100’s 20^th Annual Conference on May 12, it was clear how far C-100 had come since the Committee’s first conference in 1990. Only sixty attended that first conference, with ten times as many present in 2011 at both the conference and evening gala. This year, 77 Committee members were on hand, more than the total C-100 membership in 1990.

Looking Back: Twenty Years of Committee of 100 Annual Conferences

The Committee of 100 is grateful for the speakers, honorees, and participants who have graced us with their presence over the last 20 years.

 

Highlights, 1990-2010:

 

1990: First Annual Conference: New York, NY

• Executive Director of the San Francisco YMCA Alan Wong gave a talk on “Chinese Americans- Past, Present, and Future” and Richard Holbrooke spoke on “Sino-American Relations in the Age of Gorbachev”

 

1991: Second Annual Conference: San Francisco, CA

• Morning session focused on China and America with a speech by Chinese Ambassador Zhu Qizhen. U.S. Ambassador James R. Lilley spoke on the current U.S. foreign policy in China. Other speakers included Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, former Delaware Lieutenant Governor S.B. Woo, Author Bette Bao Lord, and Justice Harry W. Low.

C-100 Members on the Lecture Circuit—Geoff Yang, Princeton University 2011 Reunion

Speaking on a panel entitled "Asian American Trailblazers" to a standing-room only gathering on May 28 at Princeton University, Geoff Yang (Princeton ’81) reflected on his successful career as a venture capitalist. He said that his Chinese roots were a key to his success, making him stand out.  At his 30th reunion since graduation from Princeton, Yang discussed his reverence for his Chinese heritage and wished that it had manifested earlier. The effect of China’s rise, Yang said, helps build on his strong identity as Chinese American. He urged the audience to embrace their Asian American identity and take advantage of the opportunities it presents. Yang praised the work of the Committee of 100 in forging understanding between the U.S. and China and in mitigating the backlash that may arise here when China gains even greater power and influence in the future.

Secretary of State Clinton Hails Progress of 100,000 Strong Initiative at Inaugural Meeting of Advisory Committee

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton kicked off the first meeting of the Advisory Committee of the 100,000 Strong Initiative on May 10 by announcing that the Initiative, which receives no U.S. government funding, has already surpassed its annual fundraising target of $7 million. The Advisory Committee is charged with raising the visibility of this important State Department people-to-people Initiative in the private sector and is co-chaired by former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and former Senator Chuck Hagel (Nebraska). Members include university presidents, educators and non-profit and corporate executives.

C-100 Education Initiative: C-100-Sponsored Coalition Organizes First Annual Southern California Mandarin Teachers Conference

Chinese language teaching in Southern California schools got a big boost on June 4 with the First Annual Mandarin Teachers Conference, attracting over 130 teachers and administrators for a day of networking and workshops on Mandarin teaching strategies.

The conference, held at the Mendez Learning Center in Los Angeles, was presented by the Mandarin in Schools Committee, a coalition of educators dedicated to expanding the teaching of Mandarin in K-12 schools. The coalition was convened several years ago by the Committee of 100 Southern California Region, led by C-100 Vice Chair Stewart Kwoh. One of its first successes , as reported in Committee Bridges, was the 2008 adoption of a Los Angeles Board of Education resolution to expand Mandarin learning opportunities for Los Angeles students.

Rep. Judy Chu (in red jacket) and C-100 Vice Chair Stewart Kwoh (at far right) with educators.

In an impressive show of support for the work of the Mandarin Schools Committee, the conference was addressed by U.S. Congresswoman Judy Chu, who spoke about the importance of foreign language acquisition; California Assemblyman Mike Eng; Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Superintendent John Deasy; and LAUSD Board President Monica Garcia. East West Bank was the key financial supporter of the conference.

Upcoming Events: Committee of 100 to Hold 21st Annual Conference in Pasadena

April 19 - 20, 2012
The Langham, Huntington Hotel & Spa, Pasadena

In keeping with C-100’s four-year Annual Conference rotation through New York, Southern California, Washington, D.C., and the San Francisco Bay Area, the Committee will hold its 2012 conference in Pasadena. Presiding will be new Committee Chair Dominic Ng, Chairman and CEO of East West Bancorp Inc., which is headquartered in Pasadena. A highlight will be the results from the upcoming 2012 C-100 opinion survey. 

For more information, go to http://www.committee100.org/

Honorable Mentions: Recent Awards to C-100 Members—David D. Ho, Lotus Leadership Award, Asia Foundation

On June 8 in New York City, David D. Ho, Scientific Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center and the Irene Diamond Professor at The Rockefeller University, received the first Lotus Leadership Award given by the Asia Foundation and The Lotus Circle “to recognize individuals who have contributed to the well-being of Asian women and society.”

Carol Yost, director of the Foundation’s Women’s Empowerment Program, and David D. Arnold, President of the Asia Foundation with David Ho.

Ho’s work in China fighting AIDS, particularly among poor rural people and migrants to the cities, has transformed how victims are treated medically and has helped moderate the discrimination faced by Chinese AIDS patients. Asia Foundation President David D. Arnold remarked, “Dr. Ho fundamentally changed the way the scientific community views HIV/AIDS—and he launched the critical shift in the treatment paradigm to treat the virus early—saving countless lives. In Asia, he played a key role in China’s adoption of new AIDS policies; his work catalyzed China’s acceptance of effective treatment and prevention programs.”

Committee of 100 Opens Doors in China for Journalist and Talk Show Host Tavis Smiley

Committee of 100 members and staff played important roles in the production of “Postcards from China,” a five-day PBS series to air the week of July 11 on Tavis Smiley.  Smiley brought more than thirty of his staff members, as well as Princeton professor Cornel West, his Smiley and West co-host on Public Radio International, to record a six-part series in China.